Underrecognized cause diarrhea in solid organ transplant: a report of astroviridae enteritis in liver transplant

Abstract

We present a case of a 72‐year‐old liver transplant recipient 7 years prior who presents to our hospital with general malaise, fatigue, low‐grade fevers, and watery diarrhea. He was found to have Astrovirus via PCR testing in a comprehensive stool panel. The patient's home mycophenolic acid was held upon admission, while cyclosporine was continued through his hospital stay. Generally, Astroviridae infection is a rarely identified cause of enteritis and even less so in the transplant population. Although reports have been published regarding devastating cases of encephalitis in immunocompromised patients, our patient did not exhibit these symptoms and draws into question the danger of this virus in other immunosuppressed populations. This case helps to better elucidate which patient populations should be approached with caution in the setting of Astroviridae infection.